Accelerator



v May 20 1924.

H. F. GEORGE AC CELERATOR 'led June 22. I1921 Patented May 20, 1924.

i UNITED sTn'rEsA HARRY F. GEORGE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ACCELERATOR.

Application filed .Tune 22, 1921.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it kno'wn that I, HARRY F. GEORGE, a citizen of the United States,residinat Chicago, in the county of Cook and' btate of Illinois, haveinvented certain .new and useful Improvements in Accelerators, of whichthe following is a specication.

This invention relates to a new and improved throttle operating deviceor accelerator for automobiles, and more particularly to a device of thecharacter described especially adapted for use in connection with carshaving control pedals operated similarly to those in use upon the Fordcar.

In the operation o-f an automobile it is highly desirable to open thethrottle valve and thus accelerate the engine when going into the lowgear or into the reverse gear, which latter is a low gear simplyoperating in the reverse direction. This acceleration is necessary7 toafford the desired power and to avoid the possibility of stalling theengine. Vith cars of the ordinary type the throttle control is operatedby a lever located upon the steering column and on going y into'low gearwith such machine it is necessaryi Ato do two separate things, narriely,manipulate the necessary pedals and at the same time manipulate thethrottle lever.v

. In some machines provision for this opening vof the throttle or'accelerator has been made by means of a separate pedal. This, however,although it avoids the necessity for using the hands at that time, stillretains the requirement for the doing` of two things at once. Means,therefore, which are adapted to open the throttle and accelerator of theengine automatically upon going into either low speed or the reverse,are highly desirable.

The use of either of these gear connections is ordinarily only'temporary and at the end of their use it is desirable to return t0 theprevious adjustment of the throttle valve. Any variation, therefore,caused automati-y cally by the drive control levers upon the adjustmentof the throttle valve should be entirely independent of the adjustmentcaused b v the usual manual throttle control lever, and should permitreturn to the adjustment of that lever automatically upon coming out ofthe slow speed `or reverse position.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a throttle controldevice adapted to be connected-to the vehicle drive control Serial No.479,475.

levers in suchv manner as to automatically open the throttle uponpredetermined movement of those levers.y

It is a further object to so connect the control to the throttle as tocause it to open the throttle independently of the hand throttleadjustment.

It is an additional object to provide means associated with the deviceto return all parts to their previous position, that is, the positiondetermined by the adjustment of the hand cont-rol, upon release of thelevers.

vlt is a further object to provide in connection with suchy anaccelerator, means 4' for operating it by a foot pedal independently ofother control means.

It Vis also an object to provide a device which is simple in design,relatively inexpensive in construction and' which maybe readily appliedto existing automobiles without modification` thereof.

lIt is another object to provide a pedal particularly adapted forjusewith devices of this character.

(,)ther and further objects will appear as the description proceeds.

Broadly, my invention comprises a shaft adapted to be located adjacentthe'drive control levers of a vehicle, the shaft having means connectingit to certain of said levers in such manner that lthe shaft is rotatedby movement of the levers-in one direction. The shaft is furtherprovided with an arm and a pedal is associated therewith in such manneras to operate the shaft independently of the vehicledrive levers. Meansare further provided fory returning the shaft toits previous positionupon release by the levers or pedal.- The particular form of connectionto the throttle is such as to permit adjustment of the throttle by theusual adapted for use in connection with that machine. It obviously,however, may be modilied to adapt it to other motors and controldevices.

As shown in Figure 1, the engine 4 has associated therewith thecarburetor 5 having the throttle lever 6. The gear housing 7 is providedat its upper side with the closure plate 8. To this plate 8 is securedthe holding vbracket 9 of my device. This bracket is provided with twojournals 10 through which passes the shaft 11. This shaft is providedwith the crank 12 upon its left end, as shown in Figure 2. The lugs 13and 13 are secured to the crank 12 by means of the set screws 14 and 14.Pivoted to each of these lugs are the lateral eXtensions '15 and 15which are perforated to receive the rods 16 and 16. These rods carry thesleeves 17 and 17 adjustably secured thereto by the lock screws 18 and18. Pivoted tothe rods are the loops 19 and 19 which are adapted toengagethe shanks of the forward and reverse pedals 2O and 21respectively. The arm 22 is fitted upon the shaft 11 between thejournals 10 and is held in the desired angular relation therewith bytheset screw 23. The arm 22 carries at its upper end the roller 24'which isadapted to be engaged by the wear plate 25 upon the lower surface of thepedal 26. The collars 27 and 27 are retained inA place upon the shaft 11by the set screws 2:8 an-d 28 in such position as to engage the journals10 and prevent lateral displacement of the shaft.

v Upon the right end of the shaft 11 is secured the arm 29. This arm isprovided with the vupwardly extending lug 30 to which is connected thespring 31. To the end of the arm is secured a ball socket 32 into whichfits a ball 33 carried by one end of the rod 34. The opposite end of.the rod 34 carries a ball 35 fitted in a ball socket 36 which is Fastened to the throttle lever operating arm 37. This arm 37 is providedwith the screw 38 adapted to connect the member to the throttle lever 6and is further provided with ,downwardly depending lugs 39 and 39adapted to engage the lever to prevent -displacement therefrom. Themember 40 is pivotedly carried by the member 37 and is perforated toreceive the control rod 41 which is adapted to be connected to the usualmanual control device of the machine. The rod 41 is provided with theenlarged head 42 which bears upon the member 40.

The pedal, as shown in detail in Figure 3, comprises the heel portion 43and sole portion 44, the latter being at a higher level. It is pivotedlyconnected to the support 45 by the transverse pin 46. The spring 47 isvconnected to the support 45 at 48 and Vengages the undersurface of thefoot portion. The bearing plate 25. as previously stated,-

is secured to the lower face of the foot portion and adapted to engagethe'roller 24. The pedal and its support are preferably formed ofaluminum alloy while the wear plate is formed of steel.

In the operation of my device, it will be seen that inward movement ofeither pedal 2O or 21 will move the rod 16 or 16 inwardly, or upwardlyas shown Vin Figure 2. The corresponding collar 17 or 17 will engage themember 15 or 15 and will thus rotate the shaft 11 about its pivot in thejournal members 10. 'This rotation of the shaft will be against thetensiony of the spring 31 connected to the portion 30 of the arm 29.This arm 29y will be thrust downwardly and its movement will thrust therod 34 forwardly. This movement of the rod will be transferred to themember 37 through the ball connection therewith and will serve to rotatethe throttle control lever to the left, as seen in Figure 2. In thismovement the member 40 will slide on the rod 41 and the adjustment ofthe Upon release of jaressureupon the pedal, and consequently throughthe collar 17 or 17, upon the shaft, the spring 31 will rotate the shaftuntil the member 40 engages the head 42 on the manual control rod. Thethrottle adjustment is then restored to that point prior to theacceleration. If not stopped by the engagement between these members 40and 42, the rotay tion of the shaft would lbe stopped by engagement ofeither lug 15 or 15 with its coacting sleeve or by engagement. of theroller 24 with the wear plate 25 on the pedal 26. However. theadjustment of the several parts is preferably such that under normalconditions the members 15 and 15 do not engage the sleeve nor the roller24, the pedal.

If it is desired to accelerate the motor inmanual control rod 41will'not be disturbed. i

dependently of movement of the pedals A2() l or 21. this may beaccomplished by depressing the forward end of the pedal 26. The contactmember 25 engages the roller' 24 and rotates the shaft 117 whereupon theadjustment of the. throttle is accomplished as before described. Uponrelease of the pedal the spring 31 carries the parts back to theprevious adjusted position.

It will be observed, of course, that` movement of the rod 41 in order tovary the 4U against the member 4t2 and the spring thus closes theAthrottle. i p

The pedal shown in Figure 3 is simple in design and relativelyinexpensive to construct, and it has the important advantage that thefoot is positively supported in the normal )osition in vwhich it isshown, and sudden .direct pressure upon the pedal will not acceleratethe engine. It is necessary to tilt the foot, depressing the toe, inorder to accomplish this result. This operation thus being differentfrom the usual pedal on the machine, there is no danger of inadvertentlyaccelerating the machine When the intention, for example, is to applythe brake.

My device is extremely simple in design and the form shown may bereadily applied to existing Ford machines Without any material variationin the machine and at comparatively small expense and in a very shorttime.

I claim:

l. In combination with the drive control levers and throttle valve of anautomobile,

a shaft located adjacent said levers and operatively associated with thethrottle valve, a perforated lug on said shaft adjacent each lever, arod connected to the lever and passing through the perforation, a collaron said rod adapted to engage the lug to rotate the shaft upon movementof a lever, said movement serving to operate the throttle valve, andmeans adapted to return the shaft to its previous position upon releaseof said lug by said collar.

42. In combination with the drive control levers and throttle valve ofan automobile, a. shaft located adjacent said levers and operativelyassociated with the throttle valve, a perforated lug on said shaftadjacent each lever, a rod connected to the lever and passing throughthe perforation, a. collar on said rod adapted to engage the lug torotate the shaft upon movement of the leve-r, said movement serving tooperate the throttle valve, an arm on said shaft and a pedal adjacentsaid arm and adapted to engage the arm to rotate the shaft, and meansadapted to return the shaft to its previous position upon release ofsaid lug by said collar and of said arm by said pedal.

3. In combination with the drive control levers and throttle valve of anautomobile, a shaft located adjacent said levers and operativelyassociated with the throttle valve, a perforated lug on said shaftadjacent each lever. a rod connected to the lever and passing throughthe perforation, a collar on said rod adapted to engage the lug torotate the shaft upon movement of the lever, said movement serving tooperate the throttle valve, an arm on said shaft and a pedal adjacentsaid arm and adapted to engage the arm to rotate the shaft, and a springconnected to a -lu "uponfthe shaft :adapted -toireturn the-sha t: to isprevious position upon'rele'ase of said -lug by said collar.;`

et." Control mechanismforiautomobilesy of the-FordI typecomprisingazrotatable shaft portion, said members being provided Withrotatable perforated members, rods adapted to extend through saidperforated members and being provided With adjust-able stop means. saidrods being adapted to be connected to the low speed and reverse pedalsof a Ford motor car, a bracket adapted to be mounted upon the body of amotor car and adapted to support said rotatable shaft, collars mountedupon said shaft for preventing the longitudinal movement of said shaftrelative to said bracket but permitting rotary movement of said shaft,throttle control means, means for communicating motion from saidrotatable shaft to said throttle control means, and a control rod havinga lost motion connection with said throttle control means, i

5. Control mechanism for automobiles of the Ford type comprising arotatable shaft having an onset crank portion, adjustable membersmounted upon said offset crank portion, said members being provided Withrotatable perforated members, rods adapted to extend through saidperforated members and being provided With adjustable stop means, saidrods being adapted to be connected to the 10W speed and reverse pedalsof a Ford motor car, a bracket adapted to be mounted upon the body of amotor car and adapted to support said rotatable shaft, collars mountedupon said shaft for preventing the longitudinal movement of 4said* shaftrelative to said bracket but permitting rotary movement of said shaft,an arm nonhaving: an offset crank portion, adjustable membersmountedupon. said :offset crank rotatably secured to said shaft, and a pedal yfor operating said arm, said pedal being biased to a predeterminedposition such that a predetermined selective direction of pressure isrequired on said pedal before said pedal can operate said arm.

6. Control mechanism for automobiles of the Ford type comprising arotatable shaft having, an offset crank portion, members mounted uponsaid offset crank portion, said members being provided with rotatableperforated members` rods adapted to extend through said perforatedmembers and being provided with adjustable stop means, said rods beingadapted to be connected to the low speed and reverse pedals of a Fordmotor car.

7. Control mechanism for automobiles of the Ford type comprising arotatable shaft having an offset crank portion, members mounted uponsaid offset crank portion, said members being provided With rotatableperforated members, rods adapted to extend through said perforatedmembers and being l provided with adjustable stop means, said rods beingadapted to be connected to the low speed and reverse pedals of a Ford v5 motor car, a bracket adapted to be mounted upon the body of a motoroar and adapted to support Vsaid rotatable shaft, collars mount-

